WITH less than 24 hours left to polling day, government-controlled Bahasa Malaysia newspapers have trained their guns on Pakatan Harapan component party, DAP.

They warned that the Chinese-dominated party is the main threat should the opposition pact take over Putrajaya.

Both Utusan Malaysia and Berita Harian zeroed in on Perak DAP chief Nga Kor Ming’s speech which went viral, condemning the leader for making blunt remarks about PH chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad while campaigning.

Headlines like “Tun M bukan pemimpin Pakatan”, “Melayu dalam DAP hanya perhiasan bak pasu bunga” and “Dr M tidak lagi pedulikan orang Melayu” are splashed on their front pages to remind Malay readers of the danger of voting PH.

Both newspapers also highlighted caretaker prime minister Najib Razak’s remarks from a TV3 interview last night that Lim Kit Siang and Lim Guan Eng were powerful leaders in PH and only DAP supporters attended PH ceramah.

“Lim Kit Siang is using Dr Mahathir to gain Malay votes and he (Dr Mahathir) is used to realise DAP’s political agenda,” Berita Harian quoted Najib as saying on its front page.

Najib yesterday downplayed the possibility of a Malay tsunami in the 14th general election, saying those present at PH rallies are not Malays.

“We know who is the most powerful (party) in the opposition. The strongest party is, of course, DAP, which has the most seats,” Najib was quoted as saying on Utusan’s front page.

The paper also published a graphic of political coalitions’ leaders on its second page, putting Kit Siang as PH leader beside Abdul Hadi Awang of PAS and BN chairman Najib.

Umno has consistently branded DAP as anti-Islam and anti-Malay, playing on the Malay fears of being ruled by Chinese.

Pollster Merdeka Centre programme director Ibrahim Suffian said a study last year found that Malay rights still topped the list of important concerns of a Malay voter.

The rural Malay Muslim vote is considered a key voting bloc in GE14 and key to BN’s 60-year grip on power.

PH has been aggressively campaigning among rural Malays to attempt a 5% swing, which it believes will allow it to take over Putrajaya.

PH has named former Umno president Dr Mahathir as its prime minister-designate to sway Malay Muslims. – May 8, 2018.